Variety (September 1907)

14 VARIETY triple somersault from a pedestal into a "baaket." All three acts had worked about four minutes at the opening per- formance when a guy rope holding a sup- port gave way, and the entire apparatus of the Loja Trio fell to the stage. The curtain was run down immediately, and none of the acts went any further. Les Francois are three girl*, performing a striking routine of two high and hand-to- hand feats, the little seen promising well. The Parros are composed much the same. They do not go immediately to acro- batics, but spend a large part of the open- ing in the handling of heavy weights. They were at this when the accident hap- pened. Both quartets dress neatly in tights. The Loja Trio attracted interest with three high formations on the double wire. All work with good speed in the European polished style. Rush. Olympia Desvall. Animal Act. xa Mins. Hippodrome. Miss Desvall is an importation. There is European polish about the act that most of the American trainers miss. Miss Desvall appears in a cart drawn by a pretty chestnut pony and decorated with beautiful trappings. The pony goes through a simple routine of menage feats, and the rest of the act is taken up with a troupe of dogs working through a novel routine, with a big black horse also in the ring. Miss Desvall's carriage has wide flanges on the wheels and dur- ing the driving ten dogs walk on these. The act is one of the neatest and most striking of its sort, and it held the Hippo- drome audience interested for a dozen minutes. It could easily be adapted to vaudeville uses. Rush. Seven Queirolos. acrobatic. 10 Mins. Hippodrome. The ring curb was removed for the Queirolos, and they used the heavy mat that is laid there for the animal acts. Seven people make an unusually large or- ganization for an act of this sort, but the septet use their number to good ad- vantage in the working up of team forma- tions. One of the most interesting of their tricks was a bridge of five men, built up and collapsed with remarkable speed. The same formation is used for a re- markable twisting feat that has not been seen before. The seven are com- posed of four men, two boys and a woman. The latter is a sensa- tional acrobat. Toward the finish she makes a triple circle of the ring in the swiftest, snappiest series of handsprings imaginable. Her ground tumbling com- pares favorably with that of any of the men that have been seen on this side as far as it goes, and handles the team work with smoothness and skill. Her presence is of immense value and adds a touch of novelty. The acrobatic routine is away from the familiar sort almost en- tirely. Rush. Lina Marrder. Equestrienne. 8 Mins. Hippodrome. Miss Marrder makes her appeal upon the gorgeousness of her costuming and trappings. Her riding habit is covered closely with metal scales, or spangles of gold. There is not an atom of cloth tex- ture to be seen. The effect is that of a glittering gown. The saddle and trappings of her well formed mount, a big white horse, are of the same material. There is a little simple menage work, but the main strength is the use of colored lights play- ing upon the picture. With the Hippo- drome's exceptional equipment of lighting effects, the spectacle was startling, but it requires the Hippodrome magnificent dis- tances to make it really effective. Miss Marrder did exceedingly well and her re- ception was enthusiastic at the opening Saturday night. Rush. out or TOWN. "Bubbles" (19). "Girl Act." 20 Mins.; One and Full Stage. Forrest, Philadelphia. The latest creation in "girl acts" under the direction of Joseph Hart makes slight appeal for favor except for its pretentious stage setting and ensembles. It is styled a "musical fantasy by George Hanlon. Jr.," who, with Genevieve Farnell ar- ranged the lyrics, with music by Rolin Bond. The only novelty in the piece is a spectacular effect representing a girl in a large soap bubble, bur even this offers any amount of room for Improvement. There is also a "bubble" number with the girls imitating the blowing ot soap >ubbles, using toy balloons for the pur- pose. There are three principals named, but Evelyn Westbrooke's chief contribu- tion is posing in the bubble. Norma Sey- mour, a rather striking brunette, earns the honors. In addition to making an at- tractive stage picture in white, sur- rounded by the pink-clad group of six- teen blonde wig-wearers, Miss Seymour can sing, which she proves by rendering a popular ballad. There is another, Flor- ence Trevellion. She also looks well but cannot sing, although she tries. There are some shadow pictures which have been familiar in many burlesque shows, and one or two elaborate scenic pictures, the large butterfly, through the wings of which the girls poke their heads to join in the chorus, being novel. Acts of the "Bubbles" sort need more substance to them than is shown in the present piece to attract more than passing notice. George M. Young. Lucille Mulhall and "Her Ranch Boys." -Wild West." 30 Mins.; Full Stage. Keith's, Phila. The Mulhall outfit from the ranch of Colonel Mulhall of Guthrie, near Oklahoma City, made its first appearance in the East about two years ago as a feature of tbe horse show in New York City, giving i*H exhibition of horse training, broncho- busting, roping and other features of cow- boys' knife. Will Rogers, now doing a rop- ing act in a Western play, was in the out- fit then. Since that time the exhibition has been shaped up for vaudeville and had its first Eastern showing this week, scor- ing one of the big hits of the Keith bill. Lucille Mulhall, with her trained horse "Governor," is the central figure, and she does a little bit of everything, except tak- ing part in the singing contributed by Mar- tin Van Bergen, a cowpuncher with an un- usually fine baritone voice. Miss Lucille is a real Western girl in appearance as well as skill, and her part of the act was a distinct novelty which pleased. Charles Mulhall, a brother, gave a remarkable ex- hibition of broncho-busting on a stage, the first ever attempted. This portion of the act suffers only from the effect the struggle with the horse has on the delicate feelings of the women in the audience, but it could be lessened by a simple an- nouncement that the animal is not being ill-treated, which seems to be the im- pression. Georgia Mulhall, a sister, ap- pears but little in the act, posing with Charlie as a mark for Lucille's rope, but Georgia displays skill as a rider in this short time. There is also a little miss, Mildred, with a pretty face, who adds pic- ture to the act, and a boy who handles a rope well for one of his age. As a nov- elty for vaudeville, this act comes very near to reaching the climax, and it should find ready recognition in any house where there is opportunity to give it even fair display. There is plenty of the atmos- phere of the plains about it and the girls make a fine appearance in their habits of the plains, riding astride. (Jeorge M. Young. "Robinson Crusoe's Isle." Musical Comedy. 1 a Mins.; Full Stage. Keith's, Phila. One of the Jesse Lasky productions, with Rogers and Deely featured, is having its first big showing. It approaches comic cpera more than anything else that has been shown here in vaudeville for some time and it appears that someone familiar with "Robin Hood," "The Pirates of Pen- zance" and other operas must have had a hand in arranging the music. It is all catchy and well sung, four men and four girls forming an unusually strong singing chorus for a vaudeville offering. As Rob- inson Crusoe, John P. Rogers fills the role acceptably, while Ben Deely secures the best results possible out of the poor ma- teria! furnished. The part offers many opportunities for good laugh-provoking comedy. W. Gordon possesses a good voice and uses it effectively as the chief of the savages and later as the leader of the pirate band. Fannie Frankel has the prin- cipal female role, singing well and makes a pretty stage picture, as do the other girls who appear young and are shapely. The dressing and stage settings are at- tractive. There is a sort of story relating to the life of Crusoe and the pirates search for gold, but it is disjointed and poorly told. The singing saves the act, which will hardly rank as a chief feature in the chosen field. George M. Young. Edna Aug. so Mins.; One. Tremont, Boston. Miss Aug has just returned from Paris, where, the program says, she created the greatest sensation ever. She evidently left her personality and magnetism be- hind, or else hadn't got over her sea voyage, for she went very flat here. She has very poor material with which to amuse an audience and shows a ten- dency to "hog" the bill, staying out twice as long as the audience wanted her to. A "plant" in the gallery box sings much bet- ter than she. It is significant that the selection he uses is "Please Don't Sing." Ernest L. Waitt. Lee Harrison and "His Broadway Girls" (xa). "A Morning Rehearsal." ao Mins.; Full Stage. Duquesne, Pittsburg. "A Morning Rehearsal," though a little crude now, will prove a good one for Mr. Harrison. There are eight girls, a quartet (men) and Lee. The act opens on a stage with Harrison in the capacity of stage manager, quartet of men at piano rehears- ing a song, four or five girls sitting around. Enter Lcc and angry. Rehearsal called for 10 and the remainder of the girls come strolling leisurely in late, of course. The causes asked by Harrison for tardiness and the excuses given made good laugh producers. The stage is then cleared and the girls do some good sing- ing and dancing. Mr. Harrison appears in a monologue, most of it concerning an umbrella he carries, and it contains some really clever stuff. He also sings a song and had to repeat it several times. The quartet sings well, the tenor being one of the most pleasing. A patriotic finale closes. The act is most pleasing and when the rough edges are worn off, will soon become popular. P. 8. C. Hardcen, "Handcuff King." 25 Mins.; Full Stage. Garrick, St. Louis. Hardeen, billed as "The European Sen- sation," made his d£but at the Garrick last Sunday afternoon. He is said to be a brother of Houdini,. and learned the knack of conquering stubborn locks while apprenticed to a locksmith in Apple- ton, Wis., his brithplace. His act made a hit. He is assisted by a young woman in tights and a man. While removing handcuffs and leg irons he uses a cabinet and admits he frees himself by a trick. He released himself from five pairs of handcuffs and one pair of leg irons in less than five minutes. Hardeen has a "trunk mystery." He is handcuffed behind, placed in a sealed sack and locked in the trunk. The girl retires into the cabinet with the trunk from which in less than two minutes Hardeen appears on the stage and the girl replaces him in the trunk, bound as he was. The act is a good one. and should score all along the theatrical line. Ed J. Cain. "The Diving Belles" (10). "Girl Act." Parson's, Hartford. "The Diving Belles" is a skit employing three men and seven women. The scene is on the beach at Atlantic City. The surf rolls in while the Belles sing and dance. In the end the chorus girls "jump" in the water. They splashed around the scenic effect and got their tights wet, but the prima donna didn't go near the ocean though evidently much of her clothing was hung upon an adjacent but invisible limb. The act is pleasing, but nothing startling. It is a sort of adaptation, if not exactly similar, to a scene in "The Follies of 1907." William II. Rhodes. Beitina. Child Violin Virtuoso. Franklin Square, Worcester, Mass. With an abundance of musical talent and modest dressing, Bertina makes an artistic and successful act. She is but 16 ytars of age and shows a thorough knowl-